Wander Until Things Make Sense
by mm zayland
Summary: Katara always saw Zuko as Sokka's best friend, but why had he been acting so strangely lately? YES IT'S ZUTARA, at least let us have fanon, Kataangers! AU Benders...Zutara/Taang/Sukka
1. Different

**A/N: So, it's been so long since I've updated this story, that I had to go back and reread it to figure out what I was even doing. While doing so, I realized how horrendous this story was: typos, plot holes, you name it. SO. I'm currently rewriting it all. Mostly spelling/grammar errors (*cringe*), fuzzy wording, and some background stuff that just doesn't make sense and Idon'tknowwhatIwasthinking. Nothing drastically different, but I'll be changing enough that you may want to go through and reread. I'll post another A/N with the next _new_ chapter for those people who don't feel like going through it all again. I'll post the new chapters in semi-quick succession. **

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"What, you're not even gonna say 'hello' to old Uncle Jet, Katara?"

Katara stopped her progress down the school's hallway. Her best friend, Suki, had also halted next to her and cringed, and was now throwing a piercing glare at something not far behind Katara's back. Katara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, willing herself to force the violent inclinations that came along with thoughts of Jet to evaporate from her mind.

She turned to face the tiresome boy, scowling deeply.

"What do you want, Jet?" She snapped. "Don't you have a life other than harassing people?"

"Ahh, there we go! I knew you were too polite to ignore a buddy! But why so angry? I'm only trying to make friends!" He widened his eyes innocently, before raking his eyes not-so-innocently over Katara. "And you are _definitely_ a friend I wouldn't mind having all to myself." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Katara rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to her other hip, conveying her annoyance. "Get out of here, you creep. Go ruin somebody else's day."

Jet cocked one of his thin dark eyebrows. "Feisty. I like it."

"Is there a problem here?" A loud voice came came from behind her, making her jump. Katara turned to see her older brother, Sokka, and his best friend, Zuko, walking over to join them. She didn't let the fact that Suki straightened up her back and pushed out her chest upon Sokka's appearance go unnoticed.

Sokka continued, using his manliest and most threatening voice. He understood, at least vaguely, how Katara felt about Jet. "Because I'm sure I can sort things out for you."

Katara glanced over to see Zuko glowering menacingly at Jet, and did a double take.

Jet shrugged, his hands shoved down deep in the pockets of his dark jeans. He had his "signature scumbag smirk", as Suki liked to call it, plastered on his face. "Nope, no problem here, boys. I was just talking to my friend, Katara here, and-"

"I am _not_ your friend!" Katara practically spat, whipping her head toward him to shoot daggers into him with her eyes. Under normal circumstances, she was a sweet, friendly girl, but she had a temper and Jet somehow managed to push every one of her buttons, purposefully bringing out the ugliest side of her.

"Well, sounds like my baby sister doesn't want to talk to you." Sokka put his arm around Katara playfully, yet protectively. She knew he wasn't a fan of Jet and his reputation with the other 11th grade girls, either.

Katara shrugged off his arm from around her shoulder. She had had enough of this. "Goodbye, Jet." She started to turn and back away, but Jet rarely knew when to stop.

"What, no goodbye kiss? You used to love kissing me goodbye."

She angrily whirled around, completely intent to kick him in a particularly sensitive area, but she didn't get the chance.

Zuko's tall, lean frame was looming threateningly over Jet. Jet's look of confusion matched Katara's equally thrown-off expression. Zuko was a year older than Jet, and she knew he trained heavily, dedicating himself to martial arts, lacrosse, and soccer. Jet was on the school's football team, but he was always a bit of a slacker, never taking things to seriously, mouthing off to coaches and making enemies out of the other players. And where Jet had just enough stocky muscle to fill out some of his gangly build, Zuko had long, defined muscles and a graceful way of moving that made Jet seem tiny and insignificant in comparison.

"I think it would be best if you and your over-inflated ego walked away now, Jet, before I do something _you'll_ regret." His golden yellow eyes peered down, sharply focused on Jet's, as the smaller boy backed up into the wall of lockers, shrinking and cowering, attempting to distance himself from the suddenly dangerous-looking senior boy in front of him.

"Yo, man, chill." Jet's voice cracked as he tried to remain cool and unfazed. "I'm going!"

He muttered "freaks" as he made his way quickly down the hall, allowing himself to throw a precautionary glance over his shoulder. Suki growled audibly and his pace sped up noticeably.

Katara saw Zuko's body tensing and relaxing, probably in an effort not to run after Jet, as the offender disappeared around a corner.

"Ugh, I can't stand him!" Sokka said, after Jet was gone.

"Tell me about it," Suki agreed, rolling her eyes. The two locked eyes and quickly looked away, blushing.

Katara had missed the exchange, though; her attention had stayed on Zuko, fists clenched tightly at his sides. He still stood with his back to the three of them, glaring off in the direction Jet had retreated. Sokka and Suki noticed him as well, eventually.

"Dude, Zuko…he's gone," Sokka said, after an awkward moment.

Zuko replied with a dismissive grunt and continued to grimace down the hallway. Sokka's eyebrows scrunched together. "Whatever, dude," Sokka shrugged, turning his attention to flirt with Suki.

Katara stepped a few feet forward so she was standing beside Zuko. She reached out hesitantly and lightly laid her hand on his forearm. This small touch snapped him out of his trance and got his attention; his eyes shifted from nothingness to Katara, his hard expression softening as he looked into her large blue eyes.

"Thank you," she offered quietly, offering a small smile with a tiny upturn of one corner of her mouth.

He mimicked the movement with a slight twitch of his lips. The expression did not reach his eyes, but he had tried. Katara had known him long enough to know he tended to be very quiet, so she knew to take this gesture sincerely.

"What was that about, Zuko?" Sokka's question broke them out of their silent exchange. Katara sneered inwardly. For some reason she found herself wishing that she could have continued to gaze into Zuko's mesmerizing beautiful eyes a little longer. She wasn't sure why she felt like this, but she did. She shook her head slightly, brushing it aside for the moment.

"Uh…I,um-" Zuko's glazed flickered from Sokka to Katara for a split second before sputtering, "-you know, I-I just d-don't' like Jet…I guess." He finished awkwardly. He had transformed from looming intimidation to muttering self-consciousness in a matter of seconds.

"You seemed _really_ angry, though…" Suki joined into Sokka's interrogation dutifully. "Weirdly protective." She tilted her head while looking at Zuko, as if daring him to answer her.

"Yea, weird." Sokka questioned skeptically. "What's up with that?" It was hard to get a word in edgewise with Suki and Sokka teamed up.

Zuko growled and finally burst in. "I told you! I don't like him. Katara didn't do anything and he gets of on harassing innocent girls. It really pisses me off. I'd like to punch that stuck up, self-entitled son of a bitch right in the face," Zuko snarled. "It's not okay to mess with her and he's not going to get away with it!" Zuko's voice had gotten so loud that he was nearly yelling, and the angry flicker had returned to his eyes.

No wonder Jet had took off so fast; Zuko was pretty scary when he was angry.

The other three stood with their mouths agape. Katara, still standing next to him, had leaned back a bit and had cocked one eyebrow. She had never heard so many words pour from his handsome mouth at one time, let alone spoken with so much emotion. When he did speak, it was usually laced with defensive sarcasm. Belatedly, she inwardly cursed herself for thinking of Zuko's mouth as "handsome". What was wrong with her?

Zuko met all their confused looks, snapping back to reality, and realizing that the rest of them had heard his monologue as well. A sheepish look graced his face, and he slipped back into his awkward, docile, self-doubting self. Katara frowned.

Nobody had anything to say. After a moment filled with strangled silence, Zuko murmured, "I guess I'll just be going to class now…" before speeding off down the hall.

After he was gone, Sokka shook his head slowly. "He is one _strange_ kid," he laughed.

"Maybe that's why you get along so well with him, " Suki said playfully, with a smirk. "You can relate so well."

Katara saw Sokka stick his tongue out at Suki and prepare to refute her statement before she tuned out their constant bantering once again. She had more important things to concentrate on, like thinking about Zuko's strange behavior. He had never acted in such a way before. Not once.

And, maybe not so coincidentally, why was she suddenly realizing that Zuko was drop dead gorgeous? That is, if you liked the quiet, brooding, intelligent, dark-hair-falling-in-their-eyes sort of thing. Which she begrudgingly admitted that she did.

The bell rang, warning the students that their next class would soon start.

"See you guys," Katara murmured, before heading off to her next class. She had Honors Economics with Zuko. She walked slowly, giving him some space to collect himself. And, although she didn't like to admit it, she needed some time herself.

The last ten minutes had affected her oddly, leaving her feeling…different.

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_If you want to read the rest of the story, remember to put this story on Alert. :)_


	2. A Lot

The short walk to class had done nothing to sort out Katara's frazzled thoughts.

Where had these feelings come from? It's not like she'd never noticed Zuko's looks before, she hadn't spontaneously developed ovaries or something. Looking back, maybe she had always had a bit of crush on her older brother's friend; she'd always been careful to never be caught walking around the house in her usual sweatpants and sports bra when she knew he was coming over to see Sokka. He made her laugh, and always included her in conversations, and invited her places with Sokka and himself, much to her brother's dismay. She'd always been nervous to talk to him one on one, and she wasn't repulsed by him like most of Sokka's friends, like Haru. She shuddered at the thought of the moustached-boy, sitting on her couch last week, picking at the scab on his arm, Sokka watching with rapt fascination, oozing boyish un-sophistication.

No, Zuko was different, and always had been.

She walked through the door just as the bell rang. Mr. Pai Sho, the Econ "professor", as he insisted on calling himself, was rifling through a disorderly stack of papers at his desk. The other students were loudly conversing and gossiping. She heard snippets of their conversation, but she focused on searching for a particular pair of yellow eyes in the sea of faces. She felt his gaze burning into her face from where he sat in the back corner, at the far end of the class near the window. She held his eyes for a split second before he looked away, as if he didn't want her to know he had been staring. He suddenly took immense interest in scribbling down the fascinating notes Mr. Pai Sho had scrawled on the front chalkboard.

She pursed her lips as she took the last empty seat, nowhere near Zuko.

She took out her notebook with no intention of participating in the class. Instead, she used the time to think: think about what had happened, why something so small and seemingly everyday had morphed into something so huge in her mind, why she was left feeling so…

Angry. That was obviously directed toward Jet, but that was nothing new. No, there was something more, involving Zuko.

Confused? Yes, but something more.

She was surprised, but not altogether unhappy that he had come to her "rescue". Jet probably would leave her alone now, at least for a little while.

But the image she had of his intimidating rage, his muscles and features rigid, his entrancing eyes burning, burning… It had been thrilling. And outrageously sexy, if she was being honest with herself. His caveman-like show had made her want him. She wanted Zuko.

She was startled by this revelation; she had never thought of Zuko as an attainable being before, only as her older brother's cute friend who didn't seem to care if she existed. But why had he come to her aid if he didn't care? Did he care? The thought made her heart speed up. She wanted it to be true.

She tried to reason this reaction, thinking things through logically.

First, she found Zuko attractive. Very, very attractive. She always had been able to look past the scar on his face that put off most people. She barely noticed it after all the years she had known him; it was a part of him, and without it he wouldn't be Zuko. But his stand-off with Jet had aroused her thoughts. The scuffle had acted as a catalyst, pulling her feelings from the shadows and into the light.

Next, there was a minutely small, yet still probable (she hoped) possibility that Zuko felt the same, judging by his behavior. Katara cursed herself for not having more experience with this sort of thing.

But what could she do to-

Katara's musings were interrupted when a scrunched-up paper ball hit her in the back of the head. She spun around, narrowing her eyes at her classmates to find the culprit. Everyone sat facing forward, oblivious. Her eyes settled on Zuko, sitting all-too-nonchalantly, gazing out the window, hands linked behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. He caught her eyes with his own, smirked, and gestured to the paper ball on the ground next to Katara with a casual tilt of his head. He returned to looking out the window.

Katara glanced up at Mr.- excuse her- _Professor_ Pai Sho, who was babbling on believing that everyone was paying attention. His coke bottle-glasses'd eyes had missed the entire exchange she had had with Zuko. He was blind as a badgermole, and saw next to nothing of the class's pastimes. Most were staring blankly at various ceiling tiles around the room, some slept with drool running down their chins, some passed notes with their snickering friends.

Katara rolled her eyes at her teacher's ignorance before picking Zuko's note from the floor and unfolding the creases. Inside, in his boyish yet decorative scrawl, a simple note was written.

K-

We need to talk.

Janitor's closet- Hall 2B.

2:30.

Trust me. Please?

-Z

Now what could she say to that? He had, after all, asked so nicely.

She read the note several times over, turning it over, searching for some further explanation.

She felt Zuko's eyes on the back of her head, but she would not let herself look at his face.

A closet? What could he have in mind? Her heart did a little flip as her mind wandered, but she inwardly chastised herself. "He just wants to talk," she thought. She normally prided herself on not being "one of those girls", someone who obsessed over guys and every little bit of drama that surrounded them, but it was difficult in this situation. Every time she thought about Zuko, she found herself more and more enthralled with him.

The next two classes dragged by. Katara's heart spasmed wildly as the clock hands made their slow progress. Why was she so excited? It was Zuko- Sokka's best friend, she had to keep reminding herself. Nothing had changed; she was overthinking everything. She needed to get herself under control, if she wanted to avoid awkwardly pouncing on him when she saw him.

At last, 2:30 finally arrived. All the other students were off to lunch, and she was sure Sokka and Suki would notice their absence there, but she didn't really care.

Before she knew it, she stood in front of the janitor's closet in Hall 2B, suddenly anxious, heart pounding. She nervously glanced up and down the hallway, looking for spectators. She felt a strong hand grasp her forearm as she was pulled into the closet. She let out a small yelp of surprise.

Zuko's hand shot to cover her mouth, his other hand still encircling her wrist tightly.

"Are you _trying_ to give away the confidential location of my super-secret hiding spot?" Zuko asked with a playful smirk. The close proximity to him did nothing to slow the frantic beating in her chest. She could smell soap and the faint cinnamon scent of the cologne he wore, and she couldn't help but breathing it in. After a short moment Zuko moved back a half-step, and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

To distract herself, she glanced around the dilipidated, cramped closet. There were a few cleaning supplies on the dusty shelves, along with some littered trash, and a mop and a bucket sitting in the corner. A worn-in, uncomfortable looking rolling chair took up most of the space in the small room.

She let out a low whistle, in mock appreciation. "Some place you've got here," she played along, grinning. Zuko let out a short, sweet laugh.

"Well, you should feel pretty honored, Katara." He placed an odd emphasis on here name; she had to control her smile from breaking into a full-on grin. She wasn't so wrapped up in all of this already that she got excited from him saying her name, was she? He continued. "Not even Sokka knows about Chateau Zuko." He winked and smiled again, his lips parting, showing his perfect white teeth. Katara's stomach dropped at the action.

She curtsied, feigning her gratefulness. "I am humbled, Lord Zuko; your secret's safe with me. But, I wonder… to what do I owe this exclusive invitation?"

Zuko's smile faltered slightly, playfulness gone. He cleared his throat before answering.

"I just feel like we need to talk-like I owe you some sort of…I don't know…explanation." He scrunched his eyebrows together, furrowing.

She could see that this conversation would be awkward and hard for him to articulate, for whatever reason, but she was ridiculously intrigued. She walked around him farther into the little closet. There was a single bare light bulb dangling from a thin strand from the ceiling, shedding fluorescent light on the comfortably cramped space. There was a thin film of dust on the shelves, grime on the linoleum floor, the scrappy remains of an old piece of carpeting, and scattered debris thrown carelessly about. It reminded Katara of Sokka's room.

She walked over to one of the rolling chairs, trying to seem confident. Truthfully, she was nervous herself (very nervous- the drumming in her chest confirmed that) and a little bit grossed out. She sat down demurely on the chair, but it rolled back slightly with her weight and she had to quickly regain her balance. She was fully aware of Zuko's intense eyes on her the entire time. Ignoring this, Katara nodded at him, to let him know that he could begin "explaining" anytime.

He shook his head, smiling softly, laughing at some inside joke, apparently, and plopped down into a big beanbag chair behind the door she hadn't noticed before that moment. Zuko continued to sink into the ancient filling for a few seconds, before reaching behind him for a can of Dr. Pepper sitting on a shelf. Katara watched the movement of in his neck as he tilted his head back to drink, like some predatory animal.

Redepositing the can, he never once took his eyes off of her.

His gaze confused her, studying her. She tried staring back at him. She felt her face begin to blush, but he looked bashfully away first. Maybe you could fight fire with fire after all.

It had been several moments since either of them had spoken. "So…" Katara ventured. What an eloquent start, Katara thought. She rolled her eyes inwardly and let out a small sigh at this situation.

Zuko glanced up at the noise, and then fixed his stare nervously on a spot on the floor. Katara was getting tired of this. "Zuko, why am I here? If you don't speak in the next three seconds, I'll-"

"You know why you're here, Katara."

Katara's threat tripped up in her throat with Zuko's mysterious assertion. "I do?"

"You should."

"Why did you act like that this morning?"

"Like what?" He acted innocently bull-headed.

Katara huffed. "Stop playing around with me- you know exactly how you acted," she growled. "You got so angry. You looked like you… like you wanted to kill him."

"How very observant of you."

Katara sneered. She knew Zuko well enough to know that this was how he acted when he was uncomfortable. He was aggravating her intentionally. She took a deep breath through her nose to calm herself. She tried to tell herself that he was just avoiding the subject, and sarcasm was his defense mechanism, but she couldn't stop the irrational urge to beat the smirk off his face with his can of Dr. Pepper. He may be cute, but she knew him too well for him to be acting like this.

"Can you just _answer me, _Zuko?" Her voice quivered dangerously.

He remained silent, battling with himself. She sighed again and stood to leave.

He leapt up from the beanbag chair. "Katara! No. Stay." He pleaded with his eyes. Looking at him, her frustration wavered. She swore, those enticing amber eyes of his could work magic.

She forced herself to remain indignant, but it was nearly impossible when he looked at her like that. "If you're just going to sit here and stare at the floor instead of answering my questions like a petulant little child, then there's no way I'm-"

"Okay, okay!" He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, and slowly walked over to her. She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him warily. He put his hands on her shoulders delicately and gently pushed her down into the chair again, so she was peering up at him. "Just…please. Stay."

With narrowed eyes, she nodded once, trying to at least seem angry. Inwardly, she was relieved that he wanted her to stay, and the hope that maybe she would get something out of him about this whole situation.

He smiled softly, and sank down to squat next to her, so that their eyes were level. He occupied his hands by running his fingers through his messy, raven-black hair again.

"I'm sorry, Katara. It's just…I'm…ugh. I don't-"

"Calm down, Zuko. It's just me, okay?" She looked at him until he was forced to meet her eyes, and he nodded slightly. "I don't know why all of this is such a big deal, but it is, and I need to know why," she said.

Zuko ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit that she had noted long ago, and laughed humorlessly. "You're right. It is just you. That's the problem. It's like, before, you were just Katara, and now…" He looked up at her with wide eyes, and saw her looking at him in utter confusion. "I can't believe you're making me say this out loud." He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and looked her square in the eyes. "Katara, I-" She braced herself as he began. "-I acted like that because I wanted to protect you. I didn't want that creep to hurt you ever again or upset you or even stand too close to you." Zuko's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, reliving the hostility he had felt towards Jet earlier. "That disrespectful, weak, annoying, low-life excuse for a man should _not_ get away with what he does to girls. Especially you," he spat.

He looked away, but when his gaze returned to her face, she saw some of the tension melt from his expression. "I can't pretend like I see you the same way I see other girls. And I don't think of you the same way anymore, Katara. You've always been my best friend's little sister- but you're not so little anymore. You're beautiful and sexy and smart and stubborn and so, _so_ strong." He smiled as he finished placing a hand on the side of chair where she sat, stopping just short of touching her, and saw Katara smiling softly back, with a pained look in her eyes. Her gut twisted when he said she was strong; he had been referring to her past. Her mother had died when she was younger, and neither her dad nor her brother had ever been the same. She felt a compulsion to stay strong and calm and together for them, when all she wanted to do was break down. And Zuko had been there for all of it.

He trudged on. "So when I saw Jet messing with you, and I knew he'd hurt you before, but you weren't doing anything… You were being perfectly reasonable, of course." He laughed a little. "At least compared to me. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Believe me, threatening him was using all the restraint I had." He shook his head at nothing. Then, he smiled devilishly. "Plus, I might have been the tiniest bit jealous."

She would have liked to hear him go on all day, but she had to clear something up. She didn't like being associated with Jet. She frowned. "There's absolutely nothing between me and Jet, Zuko. There hasn't been for years and there never will be."

"Oh, I know. I pay more attention than you think." He took another calming breath, gaining courage. "I like you, Katara," he rushed out in one breath, squeezing his eyes shut, as if she might laugh in his face. "A lot," he added. He chanced a glance up at her through his thick eyelashes, shy but relieved. Katara did have to actually fight back a laugh, but not at his expense. He didn't know anything; if only he could have heard her inner monologues from earlier.

Katara really had no idea how to reply to this outpouring. He was so terrible with expressing his emotions; it was adorable. She figured she owed him the same honesty he had shown her. "You're adorable." She grinned, half out of embarrassment; she hadn't really meant to say that out loud, but she decided to go with it.

Zuko frowned in confusion. He opened his mouth a few times, only to close it again. Finally, he said slowly, "That's not really…what I was expecting you to say after all that…"

Katara laughed. She was happy and relieved, her nerves having dissolved. Zuko had the awkward shyness covered all by himself. "There's not a whole lot left to say, Zuko. You said it all. Everything you said- everything- I get it. And I feel the same way." Their eyes, pools of amber and turquoise, were locked and Katara found the strength to push back the walls she had made and truly sort out what she was thinking. Zuko liked her, _"a lot"_. Katara liked Zuko, "_a lot"_. Why had this been so difficult before?

"I completely get it," she repeated. "You've always been Zuko, my brother's friend, but after what happened this morning, I realized that I've always thought of you as more. I've always wanted you; you were the perfect guy, and nobody matched up to you. You're handsome and smart and selflessly sweet and brave."

She bent closer to share in a conspiratorial whisper. "Honestly, I may try to seem so independent and everything, but I liked how protective you were. It felt nice to not have to be the only one fighting. Plus, it was pretty hilarious watching you make Jet nearly piss himself." She laughed. Zuko's smile had been growing steadily the more she spoke, realizing that he wasn't being rejected. "You're modest, even though you're amazing at everything you do. And you're not always 100% put together. That's okay though, because if you were "Confident Zuko" all the time, you'd be too sexy for the girls to resist. I would have no chance with you."

Zuko rolled his eyes, but he was clearly enjoying this. "I feel like I can be myself around you, and- I could go on and on, Zuko, but Sokka and Suki would come looking for us before I finished." She grinned again. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. It felt good. "So, I guess what I'm trying to say is…I like you, too, Zuko. A lot."

Zuko paused for a minute before saying, "Well, we have that in common then, I suppose." Zuko hesitantly reached for her hand from her lap and held it. Simple and honest, just like their feelings. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, feeling light, as if she'd just lifted a great weight off of herself.

They both sat staring at each other, basking in the glow of their confessions. Any other two people, and it would have been awkward, but it wasn't. They both knew that they- this- was right. It was Zuko and Katara, Katara and Zuko. She liked the sound of that.

If it were possible, she would have smiled wider.


	3. I Can't

They stayed in the little closet for the rest of the hour.

The two talked, enjoying each other's company. They had moved to sit in the huge beanbag chair (where he had found the gnarly old thing, Katara had no clue) after Zuko's legs had fallen asleep from squatting. Forced closer to Zuko by the contours of the chair, Katara was a little self-conscious, but comfortable. Zuko was warm as she leaned back into his chest. He had one arm draped around her shoulder; the other still held her hand, playing with her fingers.

For a brief moment, it seemed strange to Katara that they were already so at ease with each other... but then again they were different than most people. Their "relationship", or whatever it was they were calling it, wasn't between two random people. Katara had known Zuko since Sokka was five- essentially, all her life. She had always been comfortable around Zuko; she had just been reluctant to tear down the wall between them. Now, the floodgate was open and Katara felt carefree. It felt natural.

Both were hesitant to tell anything about this to their friends. And what could they tell them? After all, Katara didn't even know what "they" were. Sokka would probably maim Zuko with the first blunt object he could find for even looking at Katara, anyways. She felt a pang of guilt when she thought of keeping the secret from her best friend, but she needed some time to figure things out before she could gush to Suki.

She doubted Suki and Sokka had even noticed their absence during the hour; they had been inseparable lately. Katara was happy for her friend, and her brother. It was a little creepy thinking of them together, but she was glad they had found someone. She rested her head on Zuko's shoulder, blissful.

All too soon, Zuko nudged a half-asleep Katara awake. "We should probably go find Suki and Sokka," he murmured in her ear, gently, and she could feel the deep thrumming vibration of his words in his chest against her shoulder. Katara groaned quietly in resistance and snuggled deeper into his chest. He laughed softly. He didn't want to leave either but he knew it was time to go, although he had been enjoying watching her doze off. He had a feeling they would have plenty of time for this sort of thing in the future.

"Would you prefer if I carried you?" Already knowing her answer, he quickly stood up, grabbing behind her legs and moving his other arm farther down around her shoulders, so he was cradling her. She shrieked at the abrupt movement and squirmed in his grasp, panicked.

"Let me down, Zuko!" she half-yelled, half-laughed.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Katara…you might fall asleep again." She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Zuko! Stop!" She wriggled more, fighting her way to the ground. Using her struggling against her, he threw her over his shoulder, keeping a hold on the back of her knees to keep her balance. She screeched louder, pounding his back and anywhere else she could reach with her balled fists.

"Time to go," Zuko said as he opened the door out of the closet, allowing their laughter to spill out into the hallway.

Zuko was still wrestling with Katara on his shoulder, spinning to make her dizzy, when he noticed that they were not alone in the usually abandoned hall. He promptly dropped Katara down to her feet and stopped laughing, wide eyes looking at his Uncle Iroh watching them. Katara had her back turned to the man, but when she looked up at Zuko at his sudden halt to their game, her smile faded away.

She quickly turned her head, following his embarrassed gaze, and immediately blushed when she saw the rotund man, who carried a large stack of papers and manila folders, smirking at them. She hastily moved to stand behind Zuko's arm, sheepish. She recognized Iroh as a teacher at the school, but also as Zuko's uncle.

Zuko finally spoke. "Uncle! We were just working on… an Economics project together."

Iroh laughed heartily at the blatant lie. "You need not explain anything to your dear uncle, nephew," he said in his good-natured tone. He continued to smile conspiratorially, his eyes twinkling.

Zuko glanced down at Katara, desperate. Katara's eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. Although she and Zuko had not been doing anything wrong, they both knew that the way they had been acting was pretty transparent, and they'd agreed to keep it a secret. She choked out, "Uh, hello Professor Iroh…I- I'm Katara. Zuko's… partner? For the...um-project."

The old man smiled knowingly. The genuine smile he had seen on Zuko's face, before he had noticed Iroh, was a relief; he worried about his nephew's happiness.

"Please, Miss Katara, call me Uncle Iroh!" the boisterous man proclaimed. "Now, I'll leave you alone to work on your _project_," drawling out the word in his slow, succinct accent. He grinned widely and turned to walk away, carrying his heavy stack of papers.

As soon as he had turned around, Katara buried her burning face in her hands. She would have given anything for a bottomless hole to swallow her up at that moment. There was no way they could keep this secret, now- everyone knew Iroh was a huge gossip. It was even worse that it involved his own nephew. Surely, he would tell everybody and-

Her internal rant was interrupted by a sudden, tender touch on her wrists. Zuko slowly pulled her hands away from her face, entwining his fingers with hers as he did. "Katara, it's okay. I'll talk to him. He won't tell anyone." He smiled kindly, reassuring her, his eyes burning into hers with the promise.

They both glanced towards the old man ambling slowly away, whistling a lazy tune that stirred Katara's memories of her childhood. Zuko's hold on Katara's hand tightened as he noticed a small puddle of water in Iroh's path. Katara saw it at the same moment, but Iroh was too preoccupied with balancing the mountain of papers he was carrying to notice. Zuko cried out, "Uncle!" and dashed forward to stop the impending fall. Iroh, still unaware of the water, turned his head at Zuko's outburst. As he took another step, his foot came down into the pool and-

-nothing happened.

With an unconscious swift movement of her hands, Katara had gathered the water into a small glowing ball between her palms.

Zuko and Uncle stared at each other, confused. Zuko's arms were outstretched toward his uncle, prepared to catch him, as Iroh stood unharmed, blinking in confusion.

Iroh's gaze moved to Katara, still bending the water, and his eyes went wide. Zuko faced Katara and his unscarred eye bulged, mouth agape.

Panic-stricken, Katara dropped the sphere of water as she hurriedly clasped her hands behind her back, letting it splash to the ground at her feet. "I-um, I can explain!" She looked horrified. How could she have been so careless?

Iroh dropped his pile of papers and shouted, "Zuko! Take her somewhere private! Get her out of sight!" Zuko continued to gape at her for a few seconds before quickly walking over to her. He took hold of her upper arm roughly and dragged her into the little closet once more, and sat her back into the chair they had occupied just a few minutes before. It was still warm, and Katara could make out the imprints of their bodies.

Iroh appeared several seconds later, scanned the hall for witnesses, and shut the door firmly.

He looked at Zuko. "My nephew, we are very lucky no one saw her." He then fixed his gaze onto her. "_You, _Miss Katara, are very lucky." His voice was not angry, but lacked the jovial warmth that she had heard before.

She had to tell them something they could believe; regular people didn't- _couldn't_- know about benders. It was a law that could never be broken; the one lesson that had been drilled into her head from the first day she had felt snowflakes obeying the commands of her hand, when she was five years old. But she had broken it. She had never been any good at lying. "That wasn't what it looked like… I… I was-"

"Bending that water," Zuko finished for her. He had a mixture of hurt amazement flooding his eyes.

"No! That's not even possible, Zuko. I wasn't-"

"It is alright, Miss Katara," Iroh said calmly, smiling once again.

Katara's eyebrows scrunched together and her mouth stood open, her words caught in her throat. Did they _know_? They couldn't.

"What... what are you _talking _about?" she asked, dumbfounded and agitated.

Zuko rolled his eyes, like she was being unreasonably stupid. He opened his palm before her and Katara watched as a small flame sparked to life. She gasped as it danced across the surface of his skin, flickering over his hand harmlessly. She could feel the heat the tiny fire was throwing; it reminded her of the warmth that seemed to consistently radiate from him.

He closed his fist, asphyxiating the fire.

She knew very little about elemental bending; she knew that very few people were born with the ability to bend an element, passed on from their ancestors. Her parents were from the Water Tribe nation, and she had realized she had the gift of water-bending when she was very young. Non-benders resented benders, though, so they had been forced to hide their abilities from the outside world; they had done so for so long that most people had forgotten they had ever existed, and so benders became somewhat of a legendary fairy tale. Benders couldn't tell people about what they could do, and they could never, _ever_ use bending in the presence of non-benders. She was aware that there were many benders in Ba Sing Se, the city she lived in, but they kept quiet. Katara only knew a few other benders personally, like her grandmother who lived in the Northern Water Tribe.

She had been staring at his closed palm in shock. "You...you're a-"

"Why didn't you tell me you were a waterbender, Katara?" Zuko interrupted, a pained look in his eyes.

She stammered before puffing up in defense. "Why didn't you tell me you were a firebender?" she shot back.

"That's different," Zuko said simply, defensively.

"I don't see how! It's the exact same thing," Katara snapped, defiance in her voice.

"It's totally different! Why are you so angry?"

Katara growled threateningly and clenched her teeth. "Zuko, how can you-"

"Children, children!" Iroh burst in. "You should not be angry now of all times; this is fantastic news!"

Zuko sighed and folded his arms to his chest, refusing to look at Katara. "You're right, Uncle. It is." He focused his hard golden eyes on her, and they seemed to melt as he dropped his arms to his sides. "I'm sorry, Katara. I understand why you couldn't tell me about your waterbending. I just wish I had known all these years."

Like so many times before, as he spoke, she felt her anger and her resolve to stay angry crumble away. While her family and Suki knew about her bending, it had never occurred to her to tell Zuko. After all, there was no way she could have known that he was a firebender.

"It's alright," she sighed. After a moment, she offered a small begrudging smile and her eyes lit up. "Wait, so you guys know a lot about benders?" She had always been curious about her special abilities, obviously, but had never had the means to learn anything about them.

Zuko and Iroh exchanged a look, before Zuko sighed again.

Iroh spoke first. "There are many more benders than the world could imagine. We've just been very good at keeping the secret." Iroh continued, "There are four nations that were the source of all bending. The Fire Nation draws bending from the sun, and learned from dragons. Earthbenders learned from the badgermoles, and the Air Nomads learned from the great flying bison. Your people, my dear, the Water Tribes, learned from the power of the moon. I'm guessing you were told nothing of your heritage or your culture," Iroh cocked one eyebrow as he posed the question.

"Not really," Katara shook her head, trying to absorb every word. Zuko sighed again, and Katara waved a hand in his direction in dismissal, focusing intently on Iroh.

Iroh's face broke into a giant smile. "Be glad that you have found us then, Miss Katara." His expression darkened, though. "You have most likely been approached by benders who warn you about keeping your bending a secret, have you not? They would have claimed to be some sort of bending officials or authority."

Katara thought back, immediately recalling the group Iroh referred to; they had been cold and unkind, even when she had first met them when she was young. Hakoda always looked very unhappy when they showed up, claiming that they had a right to speak with Katara about her bending, even though her father tried to refuse them. Every few years they would call on her, their voices and actions setting off little alarms in Katara's mind. She had never had any reason to explain why they made her feel so uncomfortable, but it was undeniable that there was something not right.

She nodded wearily in response to Iroh's question.

"Do not trust these earthbending men who you have had the displeasure of meeting- the Dai Li. You will soon learn that they are not looking out for your best interest." Iroh spoke the warning with solemn wisdom.

"My father, Ozai-" Katara's attention snapped to the young firebender as he took over as storyteller. Zuko looked like speaking was physically painful, and he cringed as he forced out the word "father". "-he's sort of the… leader of the benders. He's more like their self-appointed dictator though," he sneered. He cleared his throat and sunk down beside Katara in the chair before continuing.

"He's a very powerful firebender, nearly as good as my uncle." He smiled lovingly up at his uncle. "But he abuses his power. He controls the Dai Li, and they do his bidding. You'll be lucky if they haven't already brainwashed you." Zuko shook his head, looking at her. He reached his hand up to her cheek, letting it hover there, before tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. He let is hand drop back down to his lap, as Katara blushed, aware of Iroh's gaze on the two of them. Zuko continued.

"My ancestors have always been partial to the idea that the Fire Nation is supreme. Ozai is trying to conquer the other benders. He's started a war- a secret war, but a war none the less- against them. Right now, it's benders against benders, but he hates non-benders even more. To him, they're scum, lower than dirt."

Katara suddenly felt completely ignorant, wondering how all this had been going on around her, and she had no idea. "That's terrible, Zuko! How can he get away with that? He's your father, can't you do anything?" she asked.

Zuko's jaw clenched as he narrowed his eyes and looked away. She saw his fists ball. "No. I can't."

She had obviously touched on a sensitive subject, and the hatred in Zuko's eyes silenced any response she might have had. She felt Zuko had meant more than just what he had said, like there was something important that he couldn't tell her. She didn't want to pry, but she desperately wanted to know what he was hiding.

"I think what my nephew is saying is that my brother is trouble for the other nations. Something needs to be done, but we are clueless." Iroh's old eyes were sad, but he tried to perk up. "The good news is that now you are in the most excellent care of myself and young Zuko. We can reveal to you your full waterbending potential, if you so wish."

Katara smiled graciously, trying to ignore Zuko's frown. The few times she had attempted to do any difficult bending had not gone well. She knew she needed help, and the two firebenders would certainly benefit her.

Trying to ease some of Zuko's tension, she reached for his tightly balled fist and laid her hand over it. She didn't know what was causing Zuko such distress, but she knew whatever it was hurting him terribly. His death grip loosened and he glanced up at her. His eyes showed a strangely frightening vulnerability, and Katara felt tears threaten to well up in her eyes.

As if sensing this, he entwined his fingers with hers, clutching fiercely to her hand.


	4. Laser Eyes

Suki felt her back press up against her locker as Sokka stepped in closer, one hand resting beside her head to balance himself. They were whispering quietly. He leaned in farther and murmured something in her ear, which produced a giggle and a blush.

Katara shook her head, and shared a knowing look with Zuko. They hadn't noticed Katara and Zuko's approach, wrapped up in their own little world.

Sokka smiled goofily and began to drift even closer to Suki, as she parted her lips in another smile.

"Ahem!" Zuko cleared his throat loudly. The couple flew apart, separating themselves.

"Oh, come on!" Sokka said, exasperated. As soon as he realized who had interrupted them, Sokka's face dropped, and he tried to recover. Zuko snorted at his forced expression. "Hey guys! What's up? Nothing's up with us, that's for sure!" Suki tried to disappear into the wall, blushing wildly and refusing to make eye contact with her friend.

Zuko and Katara were enjoying their obvious discomfort. "Nothing at all, Sokka. Nothing at all," Katara replied with a cheeky smirk.

"So- I've got to go to talk to someone." Zuko said. "I'll see you after school?" He had directed the question to the entire group, but his gaze was carefully focused on Katara. She nodded minutely, and his face broke into a barely restrained grin.

"Yea! Absolutely! We'll meet you. Of course we will, Zuko! What else would we be...er, doing?" Sokka stutterd, embarrassment clear in his voice. He was desperate for any distraction from Suki and him.

Zuko shook his head, the remainder of his grin shining brightly on his face. As he turned to walk away, he discretely grabbed Katara's fingers and squeezed, but only for a split second. Her mouth twitched, threatening to give away the enormous smile she was fighting back. They were much better at hiding this than Suki and Sokka were; their friends were clueless, Katara knew.

Sokka was making some excuse. "I, uh-left my...book! Some place! I should really go get it..." He started to speed away from his sister's knowing look but Suki's hand shot out to grab his shirt sleeve and whisper loudly, "No! Don't leave me! What should I tell-?" but he was already gone. Suki slowly faced Katara and looked at her shyly, preparing for an onslaught of questions. She knew she had been caught, and hung her head.

Katara just crossed her arms over her chest, cocked an eyebrow, and waited for Suki to speak. Soon, the silence was too much, and Suki burst out, groveling. "Katara, I'm so sorry! I should have told you and I know I should never keep things from you, but-"

"It's okay, Suki, really. It's not like I hadn't seen this coming for weeks." She shrugged, arms still crossed.

Suki relaxed slightly. "Still, I'm sorry I never said anything, K. It's just... he's your brother and everything and I didn't even know what was happening or how he-"

Katara moved closer to her best friend and folded her into a hug. Suki smiled. "I know you probably don't want to hear all about me dating your big bro and all, but you _are _my best friend and all. We're supposed to talk about boys with each other! I'm going to explode if I don't tell _someone._"

Katara rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Go ahead. Tell me all the juicy details." Suki ranted all the way to their next class, and continued in whispers after the class began. Katara was happy to feel so close to her friend that, for a while, she almost forgot that she was hiding something huge from her as well. Almost.

It turned out Sokka was a hopeless, albeit cheesy, romantic, trying to personally bring back chivalry into the modern world. He held doors open, bought her lunch, and pulled out chairs. Suki loved every minute of it, of course.

Throughout their talk, Katara felt horribly hypocritical. Suki had been so upset with herself for keeping her secret from Katara, but Katara couldn't bring herself to be as honest with Suki. She was still uncomfortable with telling Suki about Zuko's confessions.

The feeling didn't lessen any as Suki inevitably brought up their recent prolonged absence, as their teacher "shh"-ed them for the thousandth time.

Katara blanched, trying to keep her composure. "Oh, you had time to notice that with all that flirting?" Suki punched her in the shoulder and rolled her eyes. She stuck with the same story her and Zuko had concocted earlier. "It was nothing, we were just starting a project we were partnered for... in Economics."

"Ugh, how boring. What topic did you guys get?"

She thought for a short moment before smirking. "International relations." She cracked herself up. "It's a research project, and it's a huge grade. It may take _weeks._"

Suki frowned, and sighed. "Oh, well, okay. I guess I'll just have to hang out with Sokka more..."

Katara laughed quietly, at the exact moment their teacher approached them and slammed a textbook down on the table, startling them and making them jump. "If you two girls would kindly _shut up_, perhaps you could focus on the lesson, eh?" She glared at them for a moment longer before walking away, continuing her lecture. Katara and Suki giggled quietly, but stopped their whispering for the time being. Suki seemed to believe the story, so their secret was safe...at least for a little while.

* * *

"So, honestly Katara, were Sokka and I really that obvious?" Suki asked.

The two girls were walking to meet Zuko and Sokka after school to go back to Katara and Sokka's house, as they had all done for years.

Katara laughed. "Um, yea, Suki. I'm not blind."

"Hey! What's wrong with being blind?" Katara heard behind her. She spun around quickly to see a short, young girl with black hair and a green shirt. Her glazed, light green eyes stared blankly at Katara through her bangs.

"Oh, Yue! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything by-"

The small little girl cackled robustly. "Chill, Sugar Queen. I was only kidding."

Zuko stood next to the girl, eyes wide with horror. Clearly he had no control of his strange companion. Gesturing with his hand between them, he said, "Uh, Katara, this is Toph. She's new here. They asked me to show her around."

Katara look at Zuko questioningly before holding her hand out to Toph. "It's, uh, nice to meet you." Toph didn't shake her hand, and Katara realized that if she was blind, she obviously couldn't see her outstretched hand. Katara cringed at her insensitivity.

"Yea, yea, yea, the pleasure's all mine, blah blah blah," Toph said sarcastically. She started to walk around the area, as if she was looking around. "Now, what does a girl have to do to get something to eat around here?"

This small girl threw Katara off. She didn't have time to stop herself before she blurted out, "How do you walk around if you're blind?" She gasped at her outright rudeneess and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Toph was unfazed, continuing to shuffle around, exploring. She responded callously, "Sonar. You know, like a bat."

The older girl hardly had time to be further confused by the answer before she felt a tap on her shoulder and a breeze from her back that ruffled her hair slightly.

She turned to see Aang, a boy who had clung to her since he had first met her. He was shorter than her, with large grey eyes and blue tattoos on his limbs and bald head. He was a few years younger than her, but he had a carefree, magnetic personality.

"Hiya, Katara!" He grinned widely. Katara felt herself smile; his happy demeanor was infectious.

"Hey, Aang, what's up?"

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to Smellerbee's party next week." Aang continued to smile a smile so huge, it looked as if his face might break. Katara felt Zuko move to a spot directly behind her, rigid. He stood close, his chest pressing into her shoulder.

Katara knew Aang had a "crush" on her, but he was so young and innocent... He was adorable and fun to be around but there was no way she would ever have anything but friendly feelings towards him. "Oh, a party?" she responded shakily.

"Yea, it'll be tons of fun! I'm a great dancer and I could show you some moves! I know you're probably busy and everything but I just thought-"

"She will be busy." Zuko interrupted. His voice was steady and low, but Katara could sense a hint of a restrained threat.

"Zuko!" Katara said.

Aang looked taken aback by Zuko's behavior. "Oh, well-"

"We have plans. So she can't go with you to any parties, sorry," Zuko went on icily.

She turned to face him. She looked up at him with an angry face and hissed, "_Stop. Being. Rude."_ Zuko's face sank with like a defeated puppy, until his expression rested in a hearty scowl. Katara huffed and turned back to Aang.

"I'm sorry for his rude behavior, Aang. I don't know what's gotten into him." She glanced back again at Zuko, narrowing her eyes. "But he's right, I will be kind of busy next week."

Aang nodded and frowned. Katara saw his eyes flick behind her for a moment, and his eyes widened. Katara went on, "Maybe we can hang out some other-"

"Uh huh, sure thing..." Aang trailed off, as he floated past her. He walked over smiling to where a bored-looking Toph was standing, leaning against a wall of lockers with her ankles crossed.

Katara heard him say, "H-hi...My name's Aang!"

The blind girl quirked up an eyebrow. "Uh- Toph."

"Hi, Toph," Aang repeated, dreamily. Katara saw Toph blush slightly from behind her bangs. "Are you busy for Smellerbee's party next week? I would love if you would go with me."

Katara could see Toph was struggling to keep indifference on her face. "Well, I have a few things but I suppose I could probably-"

"That's fantastic!" Aang said enthusiastically. "Do you want me to walk you home?" He didn't wait for her answer before he grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door, chattering gaily. Toph glanced back to Zuko and Katara and waved, flushing wildly.

"Well, I didn't see that coming," Suki said. Katara laughed. "I'm going to go look for Sokka, guys. I'll see you at the house later," Suki said, and headed down the hallway.

As soon as she was gone, Katara turned angrily to Zuko. "Why did you act like that? There was no reason to be so mean to Aang."

"I wasn't mean, I was just laying down some boundaries! He follows you around everywhere! He has every right to know; you can't keep leading him on."

"Zuko, in case you didn't remember, there _are_ no boundaries as far as anyone knows. And I wasn't leading him on! Not that it matters anymore, because your little "gorilla man" display pretty much spelled it out to everyone, _including_ Suki!"

Zuko frowned.

"That still doesn't give you any excuse for your rudeness to poor Aang."

"Okay, okay! I was trying to help you out of that party, anyways."

Katara heaved a sigh and growled. "I can take care of myself, Zuko!"

"I'm sorry, Katara! Is it so wrong to be a little protective of you?"

"Look, if you don't want everyone to know about this," Katara gestured with her hand between them, "you're going to have to deal with things like an innocent little kid asking me to a party a little more... smoothly."

He sighed and grumbled a "Fine."

"Okay, then."

They were silent for a moment, before Zuko spoke. "Looks like Aang has something to occupy his time with other than you now, anyways."

Katara couldn't stay angry and she let out a giggle. "Did you see Toph's face? Hilarious!"

He smirked. "Now, shall we?" He made a sweeping movement with his arm before he grabbed her hand as they walked. Zuko insisted on driving, but he never let go of her hand. Their fingers stayed laced the entire way.

* * *

Zuko and Katara sat in opposite corners of the blue couch. She awkwardly clutched her legs to her chest, chin resting on her knees. Zuko sat sprawled out, one leg on the couch and the other foot keeping time to an imagined beat on the floor, casually indifferent as Katara's heart raced.

Suki and Sokka were folded into a spot directly in front of the television, bickering over channels like an old married couple, legs touching. Suki punched Sokka in the arm, grabbing the remote. He counterattacked as he began to tickle her sides relentlessly until she was gasping for breath between laughs. During her involuntary spasming on the floor, she kneed Sokka in the face, producing an obnoxiously loud "Ow!" from him, as he snatched the remote from her limp hand with a smug grin.

Katara tried to seem like she was entertained by the scene, like she usually would be, but inside she was melting down. She felt her father's eyes beaming into the side of her head like icy needles. He stood leaning against the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

Her breathing picked up erratically as she tried to remain calm under his unfaltering gaze. She chanced a cautiously quick glance at Hakoda and forced an innocently small, tight smile. He didn't smile back.

Her mind spun. The only possible way he could _know_ was if he had seen something.

Had he seen Zuko holding her hand as they had pulled into the driveway in Zuko's car?

Or seen him kiss her palm softly as he parked and opened her door for her?

Or seen her brush the hair out of his face so she could see his mesmerizingly beautiful eyes?

Or…

They would have to be more careful. She would deny everything, at least until she felt comfortable with the truth.

She tried fixing her gaze on the television screen, seeing the images blur across the screen.

The tension in their tiny living room was getting to be too much for Katara's paranoia. How did he know? She needed to escape his piercing, knowing glare.

Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. "I'm going to start on our project."

She stood up stiffly, careful not to move too quickly, and tried to control the nervously wide-eyed expression she wore.

"Who cares?" Sokka quipped, not even looking at her. Suki stifled a giggle. Katara took a moment to stick her tongue out at the back of their heads, even with the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

She glanced at Zuko. She needed to talk to him, now. He continued to stare at the TV. Katara cleared her throat. No reaction.

"Zuko." He waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be there in a minute, Katara," he said, sounding annoyed.

She huffed and trudged off to her room, feeling her father's gaze and Zuko's callous words bury deep into her heart.

* * *

Exactly seven minutes and thirty-two seconds later, Zuko strode into Katara's bedroom, hands in the pockets of his jeans. He started at her appearance. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were alight with fire, and her hair was slightly more wild than usual, as if she'd been screaming into her pillow. She sat on the edge of her bed, squeezing the life out of an old stuffed penguin that sat in her lap.

"Uh, hey?" Zuko said, more than a little concerned about Katara's state of mind.

She held his gaze with her cold look, refusing to answer him.

"What's wrong?" he asked tentatively.

"What's _wrong_?" she shouted, throwing her penguin to the ground with unnecessary force as she stood up suddenly. "My dad _knows_, Zuko!"

"Quiet, Katara!" Zuko said in a hoarse whisper. "He's right down the stairs!"

Katara fumed. "Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped, but lowered her voice slightly. "How could we be so stupid? We might as well yell, 'Hey, dad, we're dating!' at the top of her lungs. That might be less torturous for me, actually! Especially compared to having him bore holes in the side of my head with his "I'm-so-disappointed" laser eyes for a straight hour while no one else notices!" Her voice had climbed in volume again.

They were both silent for a while, Zuko speechless, Katara breathing heavily, fists clenched at her sides. The water in the fish tank on the opposite wall was splashing up the glass, swirling and stirring wildly.

Eventually, Zuko spoke. "…laser eyes?" he said, stupidly. He ducked a flying pillow at the last moment. It thumped audibly against the wall behind him.

Katara's hard look melted, though, as it turned sad. She looked like she might cry, and she plopped down onto the bed on her back, legs dangling over the side. "I hate lying," she pouted pathetically, frown in place.

Zuko sighed. He should have known; Katara was much too good of a person not to feel bad about lying to her friends and family. He slowly moved to sit next to her on the bed. "Well, technically-" he began, choosing his words carefully. "-we're not really lying. We're just not announcing our personal business for the entire world to hear." He folded his legs underneath himself so he was facing her. He brushed his fingers over her hand, and she gripped on tightly.

"I know, I know," Katara said, still frowning. "I'm sorry, really. I'm just freaking out. My dad's acting like he knows and Sokka and Suki are so..." She made an exasperated noise and sighed. "And not telling them- I just don't like it."

Zuko thought about it for a moment. "Well, if someone asks you, don't lie. Tell them the truth. But there's no need to initiate the conversation."

Katara was silent, staring up at the ceiling.

He looked at her sadly. "Hey, I know this has all been fast and everything and... if you don't want to... do this-"

Katara propped herself up on one elbow so she was closer to Zuko. She was so close that he had a hard time focusing on her features. She surprised him by raising her small hand to rest it softly on the blemished side of his face. He twitched with the strain it took not to flinch away, but her hand remained firmly yet sweetly on his cheek.

"It has been fast, but I don't regret us, Zuko. Not for a second." She smiled, caressing his cheek with her thumb. He felt the side of his mouth quirk upwards.

"I'm happy, Zuko, I promise." She sat up straight so she could hold his face between both of her hands, feeling his smooth skin underneath her fingertips.

He let out a shaky, unsteady breath, closing his eyes as her fingers traced his scar gently. His breath caught as he felt her lips press lightly against the marred area below his left eye. He covered her hands with his own, releasing his breath slowly, his heart beating wildly in his chest. She let her forehead rest against his as they sat, both with eyes closed, breathing in each other.

Zuko broke the sententious silence after a while.

"I'm happy, too," he whispered softly.

He let his eyes flutter open to see Katara watching him, a small smile playing on her lips. Zuko took the moment to tuck a curl behind her ear, tracing a line with his fingertip from her ear to the corner of her eye, memorizing the feel of her skin and the planes of her face and the way her blue eyes never wavered. Her fingers moved from the side of his face to entwine with his own, and they held their hands between them.

"So, uh...does this mean I can kiss you?" he asked.

Katara laughed but nodded. Zuko closed the small gap between their lips, grinning.

His senses exploded as his eyes slid closed again. A bright white light- pure contentment- took over his vision, interspersed with visions of Katara's eyes, her hair, her laugh. He breathed her, drank her, felt her. He felt her course through his veins, ready to burst at any moment. As she deepened the kiss, roughly tangling her hands into his hair, he ran his hands down her back, twisting the fabric of her shirt, pulling her tighter to his heaving chest. She gladly obliged, crawling forward on her knees to straddle his lap. Her weight pushed them back so Zuko laid on his back with her hovering over him. They explored, dazed, fumbling, and inexperienced, testing new things and pushing limits. One of his hands gripped the back of her knee as she supported herself, the other running through her long brown hair. Her hands ventured over the contours of the muscles of his bare chest and arms under his shirt, and one remained laced in his shaggy black hair.

It took both of them far too long to notice the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Katara extracted herself from Zuko's lips long enough to peer up at the approaching sound. "Shit, my dad, Zuko!"

She tried to peel herself off of Zuko but found his hand locking her wrist and his lips working on her neck alluringly. "Zuko!" she whispered roughly again.

"Hmm?" he hummed against her skin, tickling her throat.

She took advantage of his distraction and pulled away quickly, pushing him in the direction of the door to her bathroom. "My dad! Go!" Finally, he understood and clumsily scrambled for the door, slamming it behind him just in time to hear Katara's bedroom door creak open.

Katara had smoothed her hair and snagged a random textbook from her floor. She was laying on top of the slightly rumpled blanket when her dad looked in suspiciously.

Zuko heard Hakoda ask, "How's it going, hun?" There was an undertone in his voice that made Zuko thank the gods that he had made it to Katara's bathroom before the chief had walked in on them.

He heard Katara's voice answer with more control and confidence than he ever could have in the state they both were in. "Just studying, dad...we're getting a lot of work done, actually." Zuko had to cover his mouth to stop from laughing at this. "What else would I be doing?" she continued. He could picture her red face as he leaned against the door, trying to calm his heart from bruising the insides of his ribs.

"I don't know, you tell me. Where's Zuko? Wasn't he working on this with you?" Zuko grimaced at the directness of the question.

"He had to pee. Why do you care so much?" Katara said strongly and believably. Hakoda had never cared about Zuko being in her room before, she had known him since he was a young child.

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering." There was a pause where neither spoke. Hakoda spoke after a moment. "Well, alrighty then. Have fun. Get some work done."

Zuko let himself slide down the door to sit on the ground as he heard Katara's door pulled shut. He let out a sigh of relief. Their secret was safe, his manhood secure from brutal attack by a Water Tribe warrior, at least for now. But Zuko knew Katara might just be worth all the trouble that she would eventually cause.

He felt the door give out behind him and he fell backwards as his back hit the floor. He looked up to see Katara standing over him, face flushed and hair wild, but grinning madly. They both burst out laughing.

This was trouble.

* * *

**_What did you guys think? I've had a terrible day, and a review or two would make my life... ;D_**


	5. Skins

**A/N: I don't really like to put author's notes at the beginning of chapters but i just wanted to say WOW I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. It means so much to me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted, CAUSE THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF YOU. A kiss from Zuko for all of you c:**

* * *

A few weeks seemed like a lifetime to Zuko, and a content one at that.

He and Katara had worked out a schedule that they followed daily, meeting each other here or there, at this or that time, just so they could spend a few glorious seconds together. They stole moments to themselves, around corners, between strangers, behind a veil of cloaked secrecy.

They were invisibly inseparable, tuned into each other's thoughts. They moved like satellites around the other's existence.

Now, there was a ten minute break between classes, giving them exactly seven minutes together to rendezvous in a small courtyard at the back of the school. There sat a lone weathered picnic table, a welcome sight for the two.

Solitude.

Rarely, a stranger would pass through the secluded space, but they thought nothing of the couple. Essentially, they were alone in their own little world.

Six minutes.

Katara laid on top of the picnic table with her head in Zuko's lap, eyes closed to bask in the afternoon sun, smiling faintly. She didn't notice Zuko staring at her relaxed face affectionately, or, if she did, she was used to it. She kept her eyelids shut as Zuko leaned down to place a small kiss on her lips. She only smiled wider, and let out a small, contented sigh.

They sat in silence for another moment before Katara said, "I'm going to tell Suki, Zuko."

Zuko choked on the liquid from the water bottle he had been sipping from, nearly spitting it all over an innocent, onlooking squirrel passing nearby. "I'm sorry- what?" He asked incredulously.

Katara sighed again and sat up, her smile faded away.

Five minutes.

"I'm done keeping you from my best friend." She turned to him. "This might sound weird or creepy but… by not telling her about you, I feel like I'm hiding part of myself-like _you're_ a part of me now, Zuko. I know how that must sound, bu-"

She stopped talking as Zuko cupped her cheek adoringly, smiling crookedly. Leaning closer, he said, "It's not creepy. I know what you mean. I breathe easier when you're next to me. I sleep better knowing I'll see you the next day. My mind is clearer when you hold my hand. Like I'd be less… _alive_… if I didn't have you." His golden eyes smoldered with intensity.

Katara breathed out the shaky breath she had been unconsciously holding. She stroked her fingers across the arch of his cheekbone, and gave up resisting the temptation of his lips. It was difficult enough when he didn't have that crazed, passionate look in his eyes. Not that she had fought very hard.

Four minutes.

He immediately responded, moving his mouth against hers in the most mind-jumbling way. She felt herself get lost in Zuko.

Three.

His hands tangled into her hair as he brought her closer, closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, her lips parted. Closer.

Two.

One.

Katara pried herself away from Zuko's soft lips, out of breath, smiling wickedly.

"But _you_ have to tell Sokka."

With that she hopped off the table and grabbed her bag, leaving Zuko's arms empty and his heart pounding.

The bell rang as she skipped around the corner laughing, leaving him dumbfounded.

xxxx

Katara's heart broke as she saw Suki's face fall.

"I swear, Suki, I didn't mean to hurt you! It's just that I was afraid to say anything and I was nervous about-"

"How could you have _lied_ to me, Katara? After all this time! You had so many opportunities to tell me!" Suki's face darkened like a storm cloud and her eyes narrowed threateningly.

"What about you and Sokka, then? You didn't tell me at first! I had to catch you in the act," Katara defended.

"That's different, Katara." Suki stuck out her chin defiantly.

"No, it's not! It's the same thing! And I wasn't even angry at you," Katara said with more condescension than she had intended.

Suki's jaw clenched as she glared at Katara. She spoke through gritted teeth. "At least I didn't wait for _three weeks_! Three weeks!" Her voice turned shrill. "And he was your brother! Do you know how hard that made it to tell you?"

"Yeah, I kind of have an idea, actually!"

"I can't believe you! How can I trust you now? You've been dating Zuko for over three weeks and you never said anything? I thought you were my best friend, Katara."

Tears that had begun to well up in her eyes finally broke free and streamed down her cheeks. "I-I'm s-sorry, Suki. Really. I am your best friend. I didn't mean to..."

Suki was silent, looking off coldly in the distance and ignoring her friend's agony. Katara covered her face with her hands and tried to control the sobs that threatened to wrack her body. Finally, she couldn't take it a moment longer; she reached out to grab Suki's arm. "P-please, Suki...forgive me. I was wrong to hide Zuko from you. I was just scared and stupid. I shouldn't have yelled at you about Sokka."

Suki flinched slightly, but looked at Katara. After a moment, she lowered her head.

"Okay," was all she said.

Katara stopped suddenly and swallowed the sob in her throat. "W...what?"

Suki unfolded her arms and threw them around Katara. "I'm sorry! It's not your fault. I should have realized..."

Katara held onto her tightly as Suki mumbled things into her shoulder, and she felt tears soak into the fabric of her shirt that covered her shoulder.

"It's okay," Katara finally said, after they both had stopped crying. "I'm sorry," she said again, for the hundredth time.

Suki sighed. "I forgive you. I should have realized that an Economics project wasn't _nearly_ as exciting as you two acted like..." She looked up at Katara. "I'm probably just mad that I've missed three weeks of gory details," she finished with a smirk.

Katara laughed. "Oh, you mean like the time my dad nearly walked in on us on my bed and Zuko had to hide in my bathroom? Or that time after school in his car when we..."

xxxx

"You're _what?_" Sokka shouted as his voice cracked.

The air in Zuko's lungs was forcefully pushed out as a soccer ball smashed squarely into his bare chest with tremendous force. He stumbled back a few steps and bent over, gasping for air.

They were out on the school's soccer field during fourth hour "team sports" class. They had been playing on opposite teams-Sokka's team, shirts, and Zuko's, skins- and had paired up. It had all been friendly until Zuko had blurted out something about Katara.

"I should _kill_ you, Zuko!"

Zuko held up one hand to Sokka as he braced himself on his knee with the other, still trying to suck in a breath of air, his lungs burning. He heard Sokka growl and saw him start to storm towards him across the field. Zuko straightened just in time to duck Sokka's fist from connecting with the side of his head.

"Sokka, stop!"

"I can't believe you're dating Katara! My _little sister!_"

"Sokka, I can explain, just quit trying to hit me-" he twisted away from another flying fist and tried to create some distance between himself and his maniacal friend. He tried to avoid fighting Sokka back even though he could have easily taken him; Sokka was gangly and uncoordinated where Zuko was packed with long, lean muscle from all the firebending practice he had been forced to endure his entire life. After all, punching Sokka in the face would just be adding insult to injury, right?

"That is against _everything... _It's not natural!"

At this point, the other guys had come over to break up the sudden fight, prying a kicking and screaming Sokka off of a shocked Zuko.

"Sokka! Stop being an idiot! If she was any other girl-"

Sokka writhed against the hands holding him back. He let out a string of curses directed at Zuko. "It's not any other girl, though! It's my little sister!"

With this, all the boys turned to look at Zuko, eyebrows raised. "What?" he snapped at them collectively.

One in the front shook his head solemnly and said "Dude, that's not right."

"See?" Sokka squeaked hoarsely, struggling against his team members. "Let me go so I can bash his face in!"

Zuko saw the expressions falter on the faces of those holding him back, so he tried to save himself quickly.

"Every girl is always some guy's little sister! It's not like I meant for this to happen! What if I found Suki's brother and told him all about what you've-"

Sokka suddenly went still, eyes widening. "Don't. Do. That."

"See? _Every_ girl." Zuko tried. He shrugged, and then mumbled quietly. "This one just happens to be yours..."

Sokka gave up struggling, the crazed look in his eyes gone. His shoulder sagged, and his head lolled forward in resignation. "Why does it have to be _you_, though? My best friend and my sister?" He pouted.

Sensing a shift away from a fight, the other men started to walk away, resuming their game and ignoring the friends. He saw a few of them shaking their heads. Zuko slowly approached Sokka's limp figure. He cautiously reached up to put a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Are we cool?" He was tense, prepared to make a quick escape or fight back if necessary.

With a tired sigh, Sokka looked up at Zuko sternly.

"Yea, we're cool. Just watch yourself with my baby sister, got it? I'm watching you, now."

* * *

Mai felt her heart constrict painfully in her chest as she turned the corner, the breath knocked out of her, like she'd been stabbed with a blade laced with her own personal poison.

Mai hid behind the wall and saw him smile peacefully as _she_ whispered something into the space between them, pressed close with their faces nearly touching. He pushed her back against the wall as he leaned in for a kiss.

That was _her_ kiss.

She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the repressed sob that left her gasping, her heart breaking into tiny pieces.

She heard them both laugh, saw him cup her cheek with his hand as she squeezed his other hand between her own two hands.

That was _her_ touch.

She dug her sharp, black-polished nails into her palms, the pain doing nothing to quell the storm roiling within her.

Bleed, Agni damnit.

She felt too much. She sunk down to the ground in a helpless slump, feeling the sharp, icy claws of the darkness of her agony consume her.

He was _hers._

* * *

[One week later]

She felt him before she heard him.

He stepped in close to her back, pressing his weight against her. He lightly lifted the hair off her shoulder, pressing his mouth into the space between her collarbone and her neck. His shaggy hair and steady breathing brushed against her skin, causing goosebumps to form, and his hands fixed on her hipbones. She shivered as she clicked her lock shut, forgetting about her homework.

She turned around in his arms, smiling lightly, and met his waiting lips eagerly. She let herself melt into him for a moment, before pulling back slightly to see his face. His golden eyes shined happily as he said, "Good morning, lovely."

"Morning," she grinned back, craning her neck to look up into his face.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked, sounding a bit unsure himself.

"Yes. That is, if... if you want to..." she stumbled. He surprised her by kissing her again.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise," he whispered. She nodded, trusting him. He grabbed her hand surely, scooping up her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Here we go, then. Into the lion's den," he smirked at his own joke. Katara's frown deepened.

As they entered the main hallway of the school, they were suddenly swallowed in a sea of people. More and more stopped to stare, freezing mid-sentence to gawk at their entwined hands. Katara grew shy and tried to shrink into Zuko's side. She caught Suki's eye in the crowd; she was smiling, and Sokka looked sick to his stomach beside her. Zuko and Katara had never been in public together before, and she knew it was sure to cause quite a stir, but she hadn't expected this. This... disbelief.

Zuko, though, seemed to be basking in it, savoring every second. He threw his arm around her shoulder, and bent to whisper in her ear. "They just can't believe that I'm the lucky guy that gets to hold your hand, Katara."

She blushed and tried to hold back her smile, instead twisting her mouth. She swallowed. "Yea, something like that," she muttered. Zuko laughed and bent again to kiss her on the cheek.

_Show-off,_ Katara thought, rolling her eyes but relaxing enough to ignore their onlookers and focus on the feel of Zuko's arm around her, their hips bumping as they walked together. Together.

She couldn't help the small smile on her lips.

* * *

"I have a question," she asked as she swallowed.

Zuko tore off another bite of his burger, the warm grease filling his mouth delightfully. He had to resist moaning; this place was heavenly. How he had never stopped to eat here before was beyond comprehension now.

"Shoot," he said around a mouthful of meat and bread. He popped a miniature corn muffin into his already too-full mouth and took a sip of his Coke.

Katara took another slow, deliberate bite of her own burger and looked around to see if anyone else happened to be listening. She saw only the warm faces of smiling, happy strangers and the twinkling lights lining the green rafters of the non-functional roof of the Whistle Stop Cafe. The patio was completely open to reveal the starry sky, but the "roof" added a special touch to the place, strings of twinkling white lights lighting up the terrace. It was her favorite place to eat, especially on warm nights when the sky was lined with infinite stars and endless happiness. She sat for another moment, delaying what was to come. She tried to shake off the cold she already felt, despite her warm surroundings.

Finally, she slowly asked, "What's the story with Mai?"

Zuko nearly choked on his food. He grabbed for his drink, trying to remove the lump of food and shock from his throat. Katara patted him on the back until he gasped a breath of air, as she dodged the stares of the cafe's other patrons. "Maybe if you didn't eat like a starving animal..." she mumbled.

After he'd had a chance to regain normal breathing, he saw Katara watching him with one eyebrow lifted, waiting. He looked at her dumbly, trying to hide how uncomfortable he was. It was no use; he knew she wouldn't let it go.

"Don't think that choking gets you out of answering the question, mister."

He sighed, running a hand down his face. He had been hoping to avoid this particular conversation for as long as possible, preferably forever.

"Why does it matter to you?" he asked, a bit gruffly.

"Because she's been staring at me in school like a serial killer?" Zuko snorted. Katara went on, ignoring him. "I figured you had something to do with her. I guess I was right, judging by your reaction. Does she have a crush on you or something?"

"No!" he immediately denied, a bit too quickly. "Well, actually maybe. Probably. I don't know. Agni, I hope not," he winced.

"Zuko..." Katara's tone warned, knowing he was leaving something out.

"Fine! We dated for two years, okay?" he blurted out in a rush. "I thought I loved her but now I know I was wrong. I broke up with her after I realized that, over a year and a half ago. She hasn't gotten over it yet, apparently, so she may or may not have some sort of vendetta planned for you." He rubbed his palm across his scarred cheek. "Knowing Mai, she probably does. She was kind of obsessive." He blinked. "Obsessive and possessive."

Katara's face was unreadable. "So..._that's_ why you went M.I.A. at our house my freshman year! You were with Mai?" She let a laugh slip out and shook her head, taking another big bite out of her burger and enjoying the situation.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko defended.

She looked taken aback. "Calm down Zuko, I didn't mean it like that. She always just so... monotone. If you're into the whole 'doom and gloom' thing. I don't know, she just seems-"

"You don't know her like I do, Katara. She's not really like that."

"Then why would she act that way in school?"

Zuko looked at her for a moment, a darkness in his eyes. "We've all got our problems, Katara," he said quietly. "You of all people should understand that, as well as I do."

The dig at her mother stung, causing a wave of pain to spark in her chest. Her eyes turned icy and she pursed her lips in silence as the waiter unknowingly interrupted to refill their drinks.

As she watched him walk away, Katara bent forward and snarled out in a rough whisper. "Well, guess what? I'm not Mai. And you don't sound like you're over her. Why are even with me then, Zuko?" She threw up her hands in an agitated gesture. "It sounds like you'd prefer if she were here rather than me! Am I just another screwed up girl from a broken family that you can 'relate' to?" She made quotation marks with her fingers, her eyes stormy." My problems are my own- I don't walk around moping and trying to make others as miserable as I am, just to feel a little less pitiful. And how _dare_ you bring my mother into this?" She was furious, but during her rant she never rose above a whisper. Her voice remained steady as death and laced with a threat that made Zuko sit back in his chair, as the tears stung her eyes.

When she sat back again, seething and staring him down intensely, he returned her stare for a few seconds, contemplating. His face was serious. It was his turn to lean into her.

"Katara."

She looked away from him, refusing to meet his eyes.

Zuko sighed, before beginning. "I'm glad you're not Mai, and I don't ever want you to leave. That's not what this is about. There's a reason I'm not with Mai anymore, Katara. There's a reason I'm with _you._" He gave her a leveled look, as Katara sat back away from him and crossed her arms with a dramatic huff, but some of the tension in her frame dissolved. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? It's just- I still consider Mai my friend. I feel like I should defend her. We grew up together, 'cause she's one of Azula's best friends." He shook his head, thinking and letting out a humorless laugh. "I never should have started dating her. I was young and hormonal and... I don't know. It wasn't real, it wasn't like what I feel about you." He glanced over to see a slightly less-angry Katara blushing a light pink under her tan skin. "Now, can we please let this go? You can't be angry if you're blushing," Zuko smirked.

She "hmmphed", and uncrossed her arms, picking up her food again. "Fine. But if you ever leave me for Mai, I swear I'll waterbend your ass so hard, you won't be able to walk straight for years."

Zuko grinned genuinely. "I'll hold you to do that."

* * *

Azula flipped on the light switch at the top of the grand staircase, clutching her scarlet robe tightly to her chest. Her eyes were groggy with sleep, but she could see the outline of the figure rapping mercilessly on the glass of the large front door of the Kyato mansion. She drifted down the stairs towards the visitor.

When she reached the door and turned the multiple locks Ozai insisted upon, she saw a drenched Mai, arm upraised in mid-knock and looking like she'd just been attacked by a komodo-dragon. It was pouring rain, and the streetlights outlined her face, stained with the heavy black makeup that had run down her cheeks, whether from tears or the rain, or some combination of both. She was gasping and shivering desperately, drenched clothes dripping onto the bricks of the front patio.

Azula was surprised, to say the least. She formed her face into an agitated expression before addressing her friend. "Mai? What are you doing here? Everyone's asleep-"

"Where's Ty Lee? Is she here?" the girl interrupted, a desperate tone in her voice.

"She's upstairs, sleeping. Wh-?"

Mai pushed past her, making her way towards the stairs. "I need your guys' help."

* * *

The cafe mentioned is a real place in my home town, links are on my profile if you want to see the real thing. :)


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